Monday, March 14, 2011

It's All Gravy

Everything tastes better with gravy on it. When I see "gravy" in a recipe title, the dish immediately gets pushed to the top of my very, very long to-make wish list.

But gravy doesn't have to be your typical white, Southern country gravy. I'm intrigued by unique gravies, like the masa-based sauce in this Seitan In Mexican Gravy recipe from The Natural Vegan Kitchen:

I reviewed The Natural Vegan Kitchen in yesterday's post, but in case you missed it, this new cookbook by Natural Foods Cooking School founder Christine Waltermyer features a nice mix of macrobiotic and regular vegan meals. I'm not sure where this dish fits in, but it's delicious.

From the picture, it's hard to tell what's going on in that bowl, so let me explain — tender chunks of homemade seitan are simmered with cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic and then it's all enveloped in a thick, creamy masa-flour based gravy. Masa is typically used to make tamales, so just imagine a gravy that tastes just like tamales. Yea, it's super-yummy. I served the gravy dish over brown rice and topped it with a little cilantro and sriracha. Oh, and I had a little green salad with Annie's Goddess dressing on the side.

By the way, if you'd like to win a copy of The Natural Vegan Kitchen, head over to the Book Publishing Company's website to enter their giveaway. Click here to enter.

I love sauces. That isn't to say that I dislike the fresh taste of a steamed vegetable or the simplicity of slightly salted, grilled veggies...but I also have a huge love for sauces. Ketchup (which my mom sneers at) is one of my major lovers...but gravy comes in a close second. ;)